Student gives online exams the thumbs up

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Student gives online exams the thumbs up

When third-year online agribusiness student Anna Creecy saw she had four exams in three days at the end of Trimester 2, her stress levels went up a notch or two.

When third-year online agribusiness student Anna Creecy saw she had four exams in three days at the end of Trimester 2, her stress levels went up a notch or two.

But she was then offered the opportunity to participate in UNE’s online supervised exam trial, and sit for one of her exams at home on her own computer.

“If I did the exam online it meant I could do it on a Saturday instead of the Wednesday which would help space them out a little bit, so I thought why not,” she said.

While Anna had some initial reservations, these were quickly dispelled after she watched a video outlining how an online exam works.

“I was wondering how they would monitor it but it turns out it’s all done through a third party via web cam and it was actually really easy,” the marketing and management major from Avalon on Sydney’s northern beaches said.

“Ten minutes before you’re booked in to start the exam, you meet your supervisor, show your ID and then use your web cam to scan the area where you are sitting to make sure you only have materials with you that are allowed.

“Mine was an ‘open book’ exam so I just had my textbook, and once everything was ready, off I went.

“You share your screen with the supervisor so they can watch your progress and make sure you don’t have any unauthorised programs open – you can’t see or hear them but you know they are there.”

Anna elected to take the exam in her lounge room, and the entire process went smoothly.

“It was just so much more comfortable than an exam hall,” she said.

“I’m an early morning person so the ability to do the exam at 8am was perfect for me.

“There was no pen clicking, supervisors pacing around and awkward silences – being at home it was just a much more pleasant experience.

“If I was given the option of on online exam over a conventional one again, I would take it every time.”

The University of New England respects and acknowledges that its people, programs and facilities are built on land, and surrounded by a sense of belonging, both ancient and contemporary, of the world's oldest living culture. In doing so, UNE values and respects Indigenous knowledge systems as a vital part of the knowledge capital of Australia.